What can I do about my gummy smile and my overbite? (photos)

Question

I've always hid my smile away because of how gummy it is, when I would smile people would always say things along the lines of "her gums always show" or "her lips go up so high its gross". These things make me feel very insecure with my smile. What can I do about how gummy it is? And the overbite as well adds to this problem, would braces fix my overbite? Someone told me if I get braces my smile would become more gummy, is this statement true? Any advice would be great thanks.

Alex Farnoosh, DMD · Answer

Hi deededeheart. Thanks for
including photos and explaining your concerns on this forum. Rest assured you
have many choices to reduce the amount of your gums that shows when you smile.
The first step is to identify what causes this condition. This can be
accomplished after consulting with a periodontist (gum specialist). It's
appears a hypermobile upper lip may be the reason in your case. This causes the
lip to pull back too far when you smile. Lip lowering surgery may be an option,
which is a procedure that's less invasive than other techniques such as jaw
surgery. The goal is to limit the vertical movement of the upper lip, keeping
it closer to your teeth when you smile. Only a specialist who personally
examines you can recommend a specific treatment plan. Good luck.

Navid Zamani, DMD · Answer

You have presented a great question.  However based on the pictures you send orthodontics can help reposition the teeth, when the teeth are repositioned the bone supporting the gums will move to that position as well, therefore reducing the gummy smile to an extent. After orthodontics it may be necessary to have other procedure done to hide and minimize the gummy smile.The best way to ideally evaluate your situation is to seek a qualified orthodontist in your area as well as a periodontist to determine a combination approach to your care. Best of luck.

Carlos Caballero, DDS, MS · Answer

Hello, Thanks for your question. There are many factors that create or influence a gummy smile. Some patients have an hyperactive upper lip, which means that when they smile the lip contracts and goes up very high exposing more gum tissue. Another instance is when the upper lip itself is short thus exposing more gum. Lastly there is a skeletal discrepancy called VME ( vertical maxillary excess) this refers to an upper jaw bone growth in a vertical relation which also is covered by more gum tissue which creates the gummy smile. In regards to options if a good candidate some gum tissue can be removed by a periodontist ( gum specialist) and in some instances orthognatic surgery ( jaw surgery) is needed to reduce the gummy smile by surgical needs.In order to better determine what type of treatment you need , I recommend you to get an appointment with a specialist in orthodontics to better serve you.Smile!

What can I do about my gummy smile and my overbite? (photos)

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What can I do about my gummy smile and my overbite? (photos)

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Everything you need to know about Braces

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.